Aquatic plantsJava Fern Plant

Microsorum Pteropus

Microsorum pteropus is a pretty, easy maintenance aquatic plant which will add a touch of the tropics to any aquarium.

It is not picky as to water temperature. Cold water or warm is fine. It will grow in an unfiltered tank.

I does want decent light. If the tank is too dim, the ferns will not grow. If the tank is too bright, the normally handsome green leaves will turn yellow or brown. If the plants grow quickly and look healthy, the light level is perfect.

These freshwater aquarium plants eat through their leaves. If there is not enough nitrogen in the water, the foliage will develop black spots.

A java fern's roots prefer to grow above the gravel so avoid burying them. Plant them by using a rock to hold them in place or by gently pushing part of the root system into a crevice in a piece of driftwood.

The ferns will propagate themselves by producing little baby ferns on the undersides of their leaves. The roots look like little brown hairs growing out of the mother fern's leaves. You can tear these off and push them into cracks in rocks or into the gravel at the bottom of the tank.

If too much algae builds up in your tank, you may be fertilizing too much. Also, make sure you have enough catfish or other algae eaters in the tank.

These aquarium ferns are tough enough to recover quickly from being nibbled by snails.